By Vern Hee

The Pahrump Valley High School track teams are champions again. Thanks to the depth of talent on both boys and girls teams, the school is a conference champion again. For the boys team, it’s the second year in a row. For the girls, it’s the fourth consecutive conference championship.
Coach Andy Schneider said the boys and girls completed a sweep of the Southwest Conference track schedule, beating Clark and Indian Springs. The girls won 147 to 79 for Clark, 34 for Indian Springs, and Death Valley scored three points. The boys won 179 to 72 for Clark, and one for Indian Springs and  Death Valley did not score.
The Trojan track teams traveled to the Meadows Invitational on Saturday and both teams soundly beat the field at the invitational.
The Trojan boys scored 141 ½ points. Boulder City 105, Desert Oasis 90, Spring Mountain 78, Moapa Valley  71, Durango 52, Laughlin 50½, Desert Pines  28, Bishop Gorman 23, The Meadows  22½, Pahranagat Valley 21, Faith Lutheran 5, and  Round Mountain finished with 1½.
The Pahrump Valley girls scored 152, Desert Oasis 147, Boulder City 102, The Meadows 82, Moapa Valley 78, Desert Pines 62, Durango 37, Laughlin 22, Round Mountain 8, and the Bishop Gorman girls finished with 4.
Both the boys and the girls teams advance to the Sunset regional track meets, known as “zone” play that starts today. Both the Sunrise and Sunset regions will compete at Silverado High School at 1650 Silver Hawk Avenue in Las Vegas. The competition continues this Friday and culminates on May 11. The meet starts at 3 p.m.
To qualify for the meet each member of the team must meet the qualifying standards. In the event a team has an event that they do not meet the standard, they can enter one team member as per Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association rules. As per rules a team can only enter a maximum of four athletes per event if they meet the qualifying standard. As far as the relay events each team can enter one relay team.
From the regional competition the qualifiers for state will advance to the State Championships being held in Reno at Damonte Ranch High School at 10500 Rio Wrangler Parkway on May 18 and 19.
According to the Nevada Interscholastic Activities Association, to qualify for the state championship  in 4-A Track the top three (3) placers in each event from the Northern Region meet, the top two (2) placers in each event from the Sunset Region meet and the top two (2) placers in each event from the Sunrise Region meet.
On the Trojan boys track team, Schneider said the athletes to watch are in the boys high jump event, Cavasio Edwards and Austin Bolton, who both cleared 6’ 2”. To make state they must beat Demitrus Morant, from Bishop Gorman, who jumped a 6’5” and Jalon Dean of Mojave who also jumped a 6’2”. The two jumpers are the closest possible state qualifiers from the boys teams.
In the boys running events, look for freshman standout Keenan Harris in the 100 meter. His best time is 11.04. He is ranked fifth in the Sunset Region. He will have to beat the top two sprinters in the Sunset Region, Shamarlo Tucker at 10.64 from Legacy and Jayveon Taylor at 10.71 from Bonanza.
For the girls, junior Kaitlin Klem is currently ranked fourth in the region in the 100 meter at 12:54. Klem will have to shave off nearly a second to beat the top two sprinters in the Sunset Region, Tamera Williams at 11.94 from Centennial and Calrissa Maxey at 12.34 from Faith Lutheran to make state.
Trojan medium distance runner sophomore Sydney Sladek at 2:24:51 in the 800 meter finished in the number two spot in the Sunset region behind runner Sydney Badger at 2:17.22 from Centennial. If all goes well at zone, she should be going to state.
Trojan senior Megan Hamrick will be competing in the shot-put and discus for a spot in state. In the discus, she is throwing 35’ 2” and is third in the Sunset Region behind Avione Allgood from Legacy at 41’10” and Brittany Jackson from Cheyenne at 37’ 11”.
In the discus,  Hamrick finished third in the region at 107’ 4” behind Allgood  at  132’ 3” and Jackson at 126’ 1”.
Trojan Senior Reegan VanEngen  is ranked sixth in the long jump at 17’ but third in the region in triple jump at 34’ 7.75”. VanEngen will be competing against Bree Hammel at 36’5” from Bonanza and Jocelyn Jordan at 34’ 10.5” from Western. 
Schneider said the girls team has three relay teams that have a chance at making state, 4×100, 4×200 and the 4×400  relay teams.
The girls relay team 4×100 finished third in the region.